soapsfandomcom-20200214-history
Victor Lord, Jr.
Victor Lord III | stepdaughters = Danielle Manning | grandchildren = | grandfather = Albert Manning | uncles = Powell Lord Sr. | aunts = Gwendolyn Lord | nephews = Kevin Buchanan Joey Buchanan Brian Kendall Danny Wolek C. J. Roberts Jack Manning | nieces = Megan Gordon Jessica Buchanan Natalie Buchanan Sarah Roberts Starr Manning Danielle Manning | cousins = Powell Lord II Richard Abbott | relatives = | species = }} Victor Dalby Lord, Jr. is a fictional character from the original daytime soap opera, One Life to live. The character first appears on May 20, 2003 being portrayed by Trevor St. John. Creation and retcon In May 2003, months following Howarth's departure from the series, the character was recast. Actor Trevor St. John stepped into the role. However, it was not yet determined that the character he was portraying was Todd until August of that year. In May 2011, with Howarth's return as the character, St. John's version was rewritten as Todd's identical twin brother, Victor Lord, Jr., instead. The series documented Victor being conditioned to believe he was Todd and assume Todd's identity. St. John initially took the role of Walker Laurence, while exhibiting uncanny similarities to Todd. Eventually, the audience started to notice, which created suspicion throughout the soap opera community regarding Walker's identity. Magazine TV Guide soon realized the matter, and set up an interview with St. John. Wanting to immediately address the question, Delaina Dixon of the magazine bluntly asked St. John if his character was Todd. St. John replied, "I don't look anything like Todd." Further pressed and asked if maybe he was Todd but with plastic surgery, St. John still did not answer directly. "He had a different voice and height," he said. The interviewer noted that anything is possible in the soap opera world. St. John agreed, but informed that the audience would definitively know on August 26, 2003, and that they should keep watching. As suspected, Walker was eventually revealed to be "Todd." St. John's version of the character was said to have received plastic surgery after being severely beaten to the point of disfigurement during a murder attempt on his life ordered by Mitch Laurence. While recovering in the hospital, St. John's Todd conducts research and learns that Mitch has a brother named Walker (also portrayed by St. John), who goes by the name Flynn Laurence. "Todd" pays Flynn for information on Mitch, and has extensive plastic surgery in order to physically resemble Flynn and get revenge on (as well as protect his family from) Mitch. Malone stated, "During my second stint at One Life, I had to decide whether or not I should recast Todd." Malone said that the series could not let Todd leave the canvas. "There was a committee involved in this recast," he said, "but during John’s audition, which was extraordinary, we all agreed he was Todd. And that unanimous decision is very rare in this business, as you know. It was a risky choice, but he really made it work." Malone said he felt St. John made the character his own. St. John did not know that Malone and executives were considering him as Todd, but he said that there was no strategy in his performance as the character once he won the role. "I feel the moment is by far the most interesting thing, and the only thing worth exploring. I think what you’re seeing is a non-interpretive performance," he said. "Todd is already written on the page, so it’s my job to bring him to life in that moment. The answer is in the question. I don’t think in terms of evilness, goodness or vulnerability. This is the line, and this is how I feel, so I act it without analyzing it to death." St. John said that he prefers the audience to interpret the character. He said teachers do not teach actors that in acting class. "Teachers tell you to interpret the character," he said. "I disagree. A character exists irrespective of how an actor plays the role. I know it’s an unusual way to approach acting." When asked if he watched Howarth's work as Todd before portraying the character, St. John said, "They wanted me to watch about 15 episodes because the producers expected me to play Todd like Howarth. This was before I started shooting. I watched two episodes but I never tried to mimic Howarth's style." St. John said, "As an actor, that’s ridiculous. I needed to get a sense of who Todd was first, and that has to happen organically. I don’t care if Marlon Brando played the role before me. An actor shoots himself in the foot when you try to play a part like another actor. It’s awful — and very limiting and very uncreative." Analyzing Todd, St. John felt that it was nice to step into the role and have instant concrete relationships: "There was so much history with Todd. I became a core character. It was grounding. I could look at old scripts and ask people, 'What was your relationship with Todd like?' Whereas with Walker, no one knew." St. John said this is what acting is all about — "your relationship to people when you figure out how to play a scene". Regarding Todd's style, St. John focused more on the character's hair. He told magazine ''Soap Opera Weekly that he wanted a haircut. He hoped that the show's writers and producers would let him trim off a little of it. "It's just not me to be this shaggy. Right now it's OK, because I've made the creative choice that I'm letting myself go because Todd's not really right in the old noggin," he said. "They asked me to leave it alone until further notice. I even gained a little weight so it looks like I'm not thinking about appearance. But personally, I'd like to be a little cleaner." Due to the praise Howarth received for his portrayal of the character, as well as the length of his portrayal, it became inevitable that viewers and the soap opera media would start to compare St. John's performance as the villain to Howarth's. They wondered how Howarth might have acted out certain scenes and recited certain lines. St. John replied: }} St. John acknowledged the love/hate relationship that viewers have with Todd, but commented on how this factor keeps the character from becoming boring. "It’s fun," he stated, "bad guys are always the most popular, I think." St. John felt that likeability is unnecessary. "I think empathy is what people respond to. If you understand a person, the person can do whatever unlikable act, and you’ll still be rooting for him," he said. He added, "And Todd’s kind of both good and bad. He’s got his good side with his kids, and yet he is conniving and vicious and all those negative things. That’s the kind of character that people like to watch. No one likes to watch a monolith of niceness. The worst thing a writer could do is make a character nice, period. Or likeable." St. John said that Todd is capable of anything, in his opinion. "When people ask: 'Would Todd ever kill anyone or hit Starr or Blair,' I always answer, 'sure.' If I say no, then I’m limiting the character," he stated. "Todd is a marvelous character to play because he could commit genocide, or find a cure for AIDS. He’s full of possibilities — good and bad." St. John said, "Who knows what someone is truly capable of? Who’s to say that Todd isn’t attracted to one of Starr’s friends, or Starr herself, even? What if Todd wants to kill Viki in one moment? See, as an actor that always gives you conflict to play — and that subtext enriches a performance." Backstory Victor Dalby Lord, Jr. is born on April 29, 1970 as the twin brother of Todd Manning and the secret son of Irene Manning. Todd and Victor's father, Victor Lord, Sr had cut off his mistress after learning he had impregnated her again; the two had previously conceived a daughter, Tina who was raised by Ted Clayton. Irene's ex-husband. Irene knowing she couldn't raise the twins on her own, would give Todd to her brother Peter and his wife Bitsy, while she raised Victor on her own. Victor suffered from some sort of mental illness and Irene considered him to be "special". Irene struggles to raise Victor until she meets a man working for the CIA who gives her a job. In 2003, after Todd is abducted and brought to Irene, she brainwashes Victor into believing he is Todd. But, she soon realizes that she can't just let Victor take Todd's place because Mitch Laurence had already tried to kill Todd. To neutralize Mitch, she has Victor's face surgically reconstructed to look like Mitch's long lost brother, Walker Laurence. Storylines 2003–2007 In May 2003, Walker Laurence comes to Llanview and gets involved with the friends and relatives of the late Todd Manning. Blair Cramer and her aunt, Dorian really like Walker and Blair agrees to make him a reporter at ''The Sun. While Blair begins falling for Walker, he confesses to Starr that he is really her father, Todd with plastic surgery. Walker and Blair marry in November 2003, only for her to learn that he is really Todd and she has the marriage annulled soon after. Blair later accuses Todd of rape and Marty Saybrooke returns to testify in the case, but she didn't think Todd was guilty. Blair realizes she is suffering from a brain tumor and she may have been wrong about Todd. Fortunately, Todd was given a retrial, and proven to be innocent. Starr runs away with her friend, Travis O'Connell and ends up getting kidnapped by. They rescue Starr and even learn to accept Travis as her first boyfriend. As the two begin falling in love, Margaret Cochran began pursuing Todd and Blair's cousin Kelly claims him as the father of her son, Ace. Margaret kidnaps Ace, and claims that the baby is her and Todd's child; fortunately, he rescues Ace and has Margaret committed. Todd and Blair feuded with her ex-husband, Asa Buchanan before they agreed to remarry. On their wedding day in December 2004, Todd is shot by a crazed Margaret and kidnapped. Margaret eventually rapes him and he is rescued by his nephew, Kevin Buchanan. Todd has a hard time accepting the rape and begins having visions of Marty taunting him. Todd is sentenced to death after a pregnant Margaret is presumed dead. During his execution, Margaret is revealed to be alive and he is revived by Dr. Spencer Truman who wanted to get rid of Todd because was in love with Blair. Spencer had sold the child on the black market leading and Todd believes the baby is dead. 2005–2012 References Category:One Life to Live characters Category:Lord family Category:Twins